How did your budding interest in photography become a career?

My dad worked in advertising and had a connection with a photographer who was opening a studio. He hooked me up with him, and that was my first job. I was the guy who swept the floors. I was 16 then with no formal training. I didn't do anything with my photography in high school, but I ended up studying photography and graphic design at Pratt Institute. Graphic design ultimately wasn’t for me, but my photography has been described as very graphic. I’m always looking for that graphic hum that you get when everything falls into place.

At Pratt, I had a summer gig with a group of French photographers who were working in fashion at a super high level. I saw their careers and wanted it for myself. I assisted them and started building a portfolio of portrait work. The popular magazine at the time was Interview Magazine, and they did open calls. On the first Wednesday of every month, from 9:00 to 11:00am, they would see whoever walked into their office. Oftentimes, there was a line out the door, and if you didn't make it through the door by 11:00, they said, “Sorry, come back next month.” I did that three months in a row, and I think they gave me my first job just to get rid of me. I joke about that, but I was lucky. If you were a contributing photographer at Interview, all kinds of opportunities opened up. One of my first shoots was with a group called Public Enemy. I worked with them and a lot of hip-hop groups. There was an interesting fusion between music and fashion in the late 80s and early 90s. I was fortunate enough to find myself right in the middle of it all, and I rode that wave.

How did you make the shift from fashion to architecture?

I was told at a young age by a photo editor that it was important to photograph what you love. I shot fashion photography for 25 years, but for me, fashion was always more of a vehicle for making cool photos. You always succeed at photographing what you're interested in, and with more success comes more opportunity. I was really interested in how design and architecture worked. I wanted to understand how that world functioned. Eventually, I became a part of it as a result of my natural curiosity.

What’s your creative process for capturing a space?

It begins with the brief and understanding what we’re there to do. I try to extrapolate key story points, and that's the only preconceived idea I take with me to a shoot. When I arrive on a site, the first thing I do is walk through the space with the architect or designer and discuss what to capture. Sometimes they want me to photograph the things they put the most amount of work into or the things that are really unique. Oftentimes, they just want me to tell the story of the space.

I try to look at the context of the project in its environment, explore the space, and look at how the light moves through it. It’s a question of what shots will capture the feeling of when you walk into a space and it takes your breath away. That's really hard to do. It requires you to succinctly capture that sense of awe in a photo without it being too broad with too much to take in. I'm fortunate I get to work on really incredible architecture projects. I'm always chasing the breathtaking moments within them.